A former Afghan interpreter who reportedly helped US troops was detained in Texas and threatened with deportation

An Afghan interpreter, right, working on a patrol with of 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment of the 5th Stryker Brigade, calls over some local teenagers who were seen moving suspiciously in a tree line in Afghanistan's Kandahar province.
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

A former interpreter who served alongside US troops in Afghanistan was detained at the international airport in Houston with his wife and five kids after traveling to the US from Kabul.

While the man's wife and children were temporarily released into the US in response to pressure from Democratic lawmakers, 48-year-old Mohasif Motawakil reportedly remains in the custody of the Customs and Border Protection agency.

The reason for the detention is reportedly because someone opened sealed medical records, causing officials to question the authenticity of the family's documents.

The family is said to have been traveling on Special Immigrant Visas, which are granted to those who are in danger in their home countries due to their service with the US troops.

A former interpreter who helped US troops in Afghanistan before fleeing the country with his family was detained at the international airport in Houston, Texas, on Friday upon their arrival from Kabul, according to a Texas-based immigration advocacy group.

Mohasif Motawakil, 48, was detained by Customs and Border Protection along with his wife and five children, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) told The Washington Post. Though his wife and children have since been released, Motawakil is still being held by authorities.

RAICES said Motawakil served alongside US troops as an interpreter from 2012 to 2013, later working as a US contractor in his home country.

He and his family were reportedly traveling to the US on Special Immigrant Visas, which are hard to come by and granted to those whose lives are in danger as a result of their service with the US military.

Special Immigrant Visas take years to obtain, and tightened immigration controls have apparently made the process even more difficult for applicants.

"The father remains detained and his wife and children were allowed into the US pending the outcome of his proceedings," CBP told The Hill, further explaining that "due to the restrictions of the Privacy Act, US Customs and Border Protection does not discuss the details of individual cases."

The temporary release of the mother and the children was attributed to the efforts made by four Texas Democrats working on behalf of the family.

Texas Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Joaquin Castro called CBP while Reps. Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee supported the family at the airport.

Nonetheless, the family is is "confused and traumatized" by the situation, RAICES spokesman William Fitzgeral told The Post. Motawakil's wife and children spent Friday night at the Afghan Cultural Center in Houston.

The reason for the detention is murky, but Fitzgerald told The Post the family was threatened with deportation after someone — potentially a relative — opened sealed medical records, leading authorities to question the authenticity of the family's documentation.